Augustus' mode wows Council

Sunday

May 11, 2014 at 6:00 AM

By Nick Kotsopoulos

Last week's Worcester City Council meeting sure provided an interesting contrast.

Early in the meeting, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. unveiled his first municipal budget. The $575 million spending plan for fiscal 2015 won immediate praise from some city councilors for attempting to balance the many needs of the community.

"I applaud the city manager for listening to what people have had to say," said District 1 Councilor Tony Economou. "This (budget) is important in so many ways because we are now working as one for the greater good of our schools, education system and the city. We have gotten to the point where we all are now moving in the same direction."

Less than an hour after the manager's budget presentation, the City Council then took up an item regarding the hiring of a Connecticut-based consulting firm to assist in its search for a new city manager.

That's right, not long after praising the manager for producing what some councilors described as a "meaningful" and "reasonable" budget, the council was discussing the process to replace him.

What's wrong with that picture?

Actually, nothing.

While it might seem a bit weird for the council to talk about replacing the city manager moments after some members had sung his praises, the City Council had no choice.

It needs to find a successor to Mr. Augustus because he will be returning to his old job at the College of the Holy Cross after his nine-month contract as the city's chief executive ends Oct. 3.

It's not that most councilors want him to go. On the contrary, many wanted him to be a candidate for the long-term appointment, but his response to that was "thanks, but no thanks."

But after seeing Mr. Augustus' first–and-only budget proposal, you have to wonder if some councilors are thinking about what might have been had Mr. Augustus been interested in the long-term city manager appointment.

"It's ironic that you can't get the person you want," said Mayor Joseph M. Petty in reference to the city manager's job. "(Mr. Augustus) not only hit a home run with many of us on the City Council with his budget, but I think he impressed a lot of people in the community as well.

"His approach to the budget was very thoughtful and he showed how much he gets it," he added.

What impressed many councilors about the budget wasn't the numbers, but rather the way Mr. Augustus approached it.

For years, Worcester's municipal budget seemed to be divided into two categories: the city-side and the school-side. That often led to disputes between the City Council and the School Committee, and the city and school administrations over funding.

In fact, for years the city did not even meet the minimum required spending amount set by the state.

In preparing his fiscal 2015 budget proposal, Mr. Augustus was intent on changing the city vs. schools mindset that has existed at City Hall for so long.

The way he sees it, the city and the public schools are part of the same family.

"I tried to approach the budget in a way that reflected our entire city priorities," Mr. Augustus said. "We are one city. That is how families live, with multiple priorities and multiple needs. And, that is how we need to operate in Worcester; as one city and not us (city-side) and them (public schools)."

Mr. Augustus' budget proposal does just that.

He has proposed increasing spending by $9.5 million, to $575 million, without having to tap into the city's unused tax-levy capacity. He was able to maintain core municipal services and spare them from employee layoffs, and he increased funding for the public schools so it is $1.1 million above the minimum required spending amount set by the state — a first in recent memory.

"There's more things we could be and should be doing, and we certainly could use a lot more money," Mr. Augustus said. "But we need to live within the numbers we have.

With all the special interests in the city, Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton compared it to trying "to fit Minnesota Fats inside a phone booth." But through the one-city approach, Mr. Rushton said the manager has been able to addresses the city needs and priorities in a "measured and reasonable way."

Mr. Augustus' one-city approach also seems to be catching on with some members of the School Committee.

School Committee member Brian A. O'Connell has placed an item on Thursday night's school board agenda asking for a review with the City Council and the city manager of any opportunities for consolidation of services of the School Department with those of the city, including, but not limited to, a possible merger of the human resources responsibilities and staffs of both entities.

He is also asking for development of a plan and arrangement for servicing of appropriate non-negotiation legal counsel needs of the School Department by the city's Law Department.

"As the proposed budgets of the city manager and the school administration make clear, 2014-2015 will be a year of significant austerity for Worcester," Mr. O'Connell said. "It is vital for us to seek new and innovative ways of providing services to our citizens, as efficiently as feasible.

"I believe that the city manager, the City Council and the School Committee can, working together, implement a variety of ways in which they can share resources, eliminate duplication, and assist one another, reducing costs and enhancing the quality and responsiveness of governmental activities in the process," he added.

Mr. O'Connell said other areas that might warrant consideration include buildings, grounds, purchasing and financial administration.

"While a comprehensive plan will take some months to create, and to implement, these proposals should be an initial step in what will be, over time, an opportunity to save resources, applying them to key city services and to the direct education of Worcester's children," he said.

Hey, maybe this "one city" thing has a good chance of catching on after all.

Contact Nick Kotsopoulos at nicholas.kotsopoulos@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @NCKotsopoulos